Neko Richelle Case (/ˈniːkoʊ ˈkeɪs/ NEE-koh KAYSS;[2] born September 8, 1970)[3] is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers.

Case's contralto voice has been described by contemporaries and critics as a "flamethrower",[4] "a powerhouse [which] seems like it might level buildings,"[5] "a 120-mph fastball,"[6] and a "vocal tornado".

[7] Critics also note her idiosyncratic, "cryptic,"[8] "imagistic"[7] lyrics, and credit her as a significant figure in the early 21st-century American revival of the tenor guitar.

[citation needed] Case's paternal family surname was originally Shevchenko; her great-aunt was the professional wrestler Ella Waldek.

[16] Her father, a Vietnam veteran serving in the United States Air Force,[17] was based in Virginia at the time of her birth.

[19] By the age of 18 she was performing as a drummer for the Del Logs and the Propanes, playing in venues including a punk club called the Community World Theater.

While attending, she played drums in several local bands, including the Del Logs, the Propanes, the Weasels, Cub, and Maow.

"[17] In 1998, Case left without finishing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, which meant the loss of her student visa eligibility.

Her lead vocals on songs like "Letter from an Occupant" are straightforward, full-volume power-pop performances, shedding any country elements.

[21] Although the band was originally conceived as a side project for its members, the New Pornographers remain a prominent presence in the indie rock world, having released their ninth album in 2023.

[24] When the album was released, critics compared Case to honky-tonk singers like Lynn and Patsy Cline, and to rockabilly pioneer Wanda Jackson, particularly in her vocal timbre.

On the album itself, her vocal style moves away from outright honky-tonk but retains her twang, garnering comparisons to musicians such as Cline, Lynn, Hazel Dickens, Tanya Tucker, and Dolly Parton.

She wrote two of the tracks, with the remaining six being covers, including Neil Young's "Dreaming Man" and Hank Williams' "Alone and Forsaken".

The EP was initially available only at Case's live shows and directly from Mint Records' website, but it eventually saw wider release.

She primarily performed her own material, but also performed and recorded cover versions of songs by artists such as My Morning Jacket, Harry Nilsson, Loretta Lynn, Tom Waits, Nick Lowe, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Scott Walker, Randy Newman, Queen, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Sparks and Hank Williams.

[citation needed] Twin Cinema, the New Pornographers' third album, was released on August 23, 2005, with Case again providing vocals on several tracks.

"[30] The 2014 album Brill Bruisers features Case as lead vocalist on "Champions of Red Wine" and "Marching Orders."

Case cited filmmaker David Lynch, composer Angelo Badalamenti, and Neil Young's soundtrack to the film Dead Man as influences.

The album was recorded primarily in Tucson, over the course of two years as Case worked on the live The Tigers Have Spoken and continued to play with the New Pornographers.

3 on the Billboard charts in its first week of release, making it Case's first album ever to reach the top ten in the United States.

[42] She toured extensively to promote Middle Cyclone with dates in North America, Europe, and Australia, as well as a performance at Lollapalooza 2009 in Grant Park, Chicago.

Queen") take the role of sirens who have taken former Philadelphia Phillies first baseman John Kruk (as himself) captive for arcane sexual purposes.

At the end of the show she sang a cover of Heart's "Magic Man", backed by Kelly Hogan and Paul Rigby.

[60] On May 10, 2013, Case appeared as a guest on American Public Media's variety show Wits, where she ended the program with a rendition of Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast".

On February 7, 2014, Case appeared again as a guest on Wits, this time alongside Andy Richter, where she finished the program with a rendition of the Bee Gees' "Nights on Broadway".

[61] In a 2013 NPR interview, while discussing her single "Man", Case described having complicated feelings of gender and femininity: "I don't really think of myself specifically as a woman, you know?